Tuesday, July 21st 2026 - 17:59 UTC
The weather front began on July 15 in the south of the country and moved north, where it hit the desert regions — areas where rainfall of this magnitude is uncommon
Chile's president, José Antonio Kast, declared on Monday a 30-day constitutional state of catastrophe in the Coquimbo region and the Huasco province, in the Atacama region, in response to the intense storm battering the country's north. According to the government's latest tally, the phenomenon has left at least ten people dead nationwide, four missing, and nearly 100,000 residents cut off by road closures. Authorities warned the toll could rise, as numerous areas remain unreachable.
“As the situation in the Coquimbo region and the Huasco province has grown more serious,” Kast said in announcing the measure, which allows the deployment of military personnel, restrictions on movement when necessary, and faster delivery of resources and assistance. The government mobilized the army for rescue operations.
The weather front began on July 15 in the south of the country and moved north, where it hit the desert regions of Coquimbo and Atacama with particular intensity — areas where rainfall of this magnitude is uncommon. Swollen rivers blocked the main access routes and left many towns isolated from one another. In Coquimbo, about 460 kilometers north of Santiago, flooding, mudslides, and power cuts also affected the drinking-water supply. In the town of Andacollo, more than 300 millimeters of rain fell in a single night.
